System and method for controlling an alternating current (AC) signal
AssigneeMicrochip Technology Incorporated
InventorStanley A. D'Souza
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for controlling an Alternating Current (AC) signal to an AC powered device. The system uses a microcontroller to monitor the cycles of the AC signal supplied to the AC powered device. By utilizing cycle counting, the microcontroller can supply various numbers of waveforms to the AC powered device in order to adjust the speed and/or energy supply level to the AC powered device. At full power, all the cycles of the AC signal are provided to the AC powered device. If the speed and/or energy supply level of the AC powered device needs to be reduced by half, the microcontroller supplies every other cycle of the AC signal to the AC powered device.
Claims20
A system for controlling an Alternating Current (AC) signal to an AC powered device comprising, in combination:
- switching means coupled to said AC powered device for controlling said AC signal supplied to said AC powered device to control at least one of speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device;
- and
- intelligent control means coupled to said switching means for adjusting said AC signal to said AC powered device by allowing a first predetermined number of cycles of said AC signal to be sent to said AC powered device via said switching means and for blocking a second predetermined number of cycles of said AC signal from being sent to said AC powered device to control said at least one of speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device by a proportionate amount, said intelligent control means comprising:
- monitoring means coupled to an AC signal line for monitoring said cycles of said AC signal on said AC signal line;
- control means coupled to said monitoring means for controlling which of said cycles of said AC signal are sent to said AC powered device to adjust said at least one of said speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device;
- and
- signaling means coupled to said control means for supplying a control signal to said switching means to fire said switching means to supply said cycles of the AC signal which are required to adjust said at least one of said speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device to desired levels.
A system for controlling an AC signal to an AC powered device comprising, in combination:
- switching means coupled to said AC powered device for controlling said AC signal supplied to said AC powered device to control at least one of speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device;
- and
- intelligent control means coupled to said switching means for adjusting said AC signal to said AC powered device by allowing a first predetermined number of cycles of said AC signal to be sent to said AC powered device via said switching means and for blocking a second predetermined number of said cycles of said AC signal from being sent to said AC powered device for controlling said at least one of speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device by a proportionate amount, said intelligent control means comprising:
- monitoring means coupled to an AC signal line for monitoring said cycles of said AC signal on said AC signal line;
- control means coupled to said monitoring means for controlling which of said cycles of said AC signal are sent to said AC powered device to adjust said at least one of said speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device;
- and
- signaling means coupled to said control means for supplying a control signal to said switching means to fire said switching means to supply said cycles of said AC signal which are required to adjust said at least one of said speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device to desired levels;
- power supply means coupled to said intelligent control means for supplying an operational voltage to said intelligent control means;
- and
- enabling means coupled to said intelligent control means for activating and deactivating said intelligent control means.
A method of providing a system for controlling an AC signal to an AC powered device comprising the steps of:
- providing switching means coupled to said AC powered device for controlling said AC signal supplied to said AC powered device to control at least one of speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device;
- and
- providing intelligent control means coupled to said switching means for adjusting said AC signal to said AC powered device by allowing a first predetermined number of cycles of said AC signal to be sent to said AC powered device via said switching means and for blocking a second predetermined number of cycles of said AC signal from being sent to said AC powered device to control said at least one of speed and energy supplied to said AC powered device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.